15 Facts About Shivani

Gaura Pant, better known as Shivani, was a Hindi writer of the 20th century and a pioneer in writing Indian women-centric fiction.

Shivani was awarded the Padma Shri for her contribution to Hindi literature in 1982.

Shivani garnered a following in the pre-television era of 1960s and 1970s, and her literary works such as Krishnakali, were serialised in Hindi magazines like Dharmayug and Saptahik Hindustan.

Gaura Pant 'Shivani' was born on 17 October 1923, the Vijaya Dasami day in Rajkot, Gujarat, where her father, Ashwini Kumar Pande was a teacher with the princely state of Rajkot.

Shivani's mother was a Sanskrit scholar, and the first student of Lucknow Mahila Vidyalaya.

Shivani remained at Shantiniketan for another 9 years and left as a graduate in 1943.

Shivani was married to Shuk Deo Pant, a teacher who worked in the Education Department of Uttar Pradesh, which led to the family travelling to various places including Allahabad and Priory Lodge in Nainital, before settling in Lucknow, where she stayed till her last days.

Shivani's husband died at an early age, leaving her to take care of the four children.

Shivani had three daughters, Veena Joshi, Mrinal Pande and Ira Pande, and a son Muktesh Pant.

Shivani received the Padma Shri for her contribution to Hindi literature in 1982.

Shivani was a prolific writer; her bibliography consists of over 40 novels, many short stories and hundreds of articles and essays.

Shivani published travelogues such as Yatriki, based on her London travels, and Chareivati, based on her travels to Russia.

Towards the end of her life, Shivani took to autobiographical writings, first sighted in her book, Shivani ki Sresth Kahaniyan, followed by her two-part memoir, Smriti Kalash and Sone De, whose title she borrowed from the epitaph of 18th-century Urdu poet Nazeer Akbarabadi:.

Shivani continued to write till her last days, and died on 21 March 2003 in New Delhi, after a prolonged illness.

In 2005, her daughter, Hindi writer Ira Pande, published a memoir based on Shivani's life, titled Diddi My Mother's Voice.